title: The comparative biomechanics of the reinforced interdental crossover and the Stout loop composite splints for mandibular fracture repair in dogs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe a new technique, the reinforced interdental crossover composite splint (RIC), for transverse mandibular fracture repair in dogs. This technique was compared biomechanically with the established reinforced interdental Stout loop composite splint (RIS) technique.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six pairs of mandibles from young adult small breed dogs were used for the study. Osteotomies were created in a standardized fashion and fixed with either RIC or RIS. All composite splint constructs were tested biomechanically with a cantilever bending force, using a single column testing machine at a rate of 2 mm/min. The time of application, amount of composite used, ultimate force, stiffness, total displacement, and total energy absorbed during displacement of the rostral mandibular segment were calculated and compared between the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant difference was found when comparing the time of application of the RIC and the RIS techniques. All implants failed by either composite resin fracture over the region of the osteotomy or by fracture between the first and second molar followed by detachment of the resin from the lingual enamel surface of the first molar. Differences between the RIC and RIS in force (80.5 N ± 40.3 and 51.8 N ± 27.4. respectively) and stiffness (16.2 N/mm ± 4.4 and 10.1 N/mm ± 4.1 respectively) were significant (p = 0.03). However differences between the two techniques in displacement and total energy absorbed were not significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In experimentally fractured mandibles of young adult dogs there is evidence that RIC is biomechanically similar to RIS.
authors.affiliation: Dr. G. Steenkamp, Section Small Animal Surgery, Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies, Onderstepoort Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Onderstepoort, 0110, South Africa, Phone: +27 12 529 8276, Fax: + 27 12 529 8479, E-mail: gerhard.steenkamp@up.ac.za.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kitshoff
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: de Rooster
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Burger
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Steenkamp
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D049628:Body Size; D002102:Cadaver; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D004285:Dogs; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D016267:External Fixators / Q000662:veterinary*; D005592:Fracture Fixation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D008334:Mandible / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008337:Mandibular Fractures / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*; D013314:Stress, Mechanical
keywords: Composite; dog; interdental wire; mandibular fracture; resin splint